Mechanical coupling for glass and ceramic articles



Oct. 10, 1967 J. D. STACHIW ETAL 3,346,279

MECHANICAL COUPLING FOR GLASS AND CERAMIC ARTICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 13, 1965 INVENTORS. Jams/aw D. Starch/w Ph/H/p A. Vanado AGENT Oct. 10, 1967 J. D. STACHlW ETAL 3,345,279

MECHANICAL COUPLING FOR GLASS AND CERAMIC ARTICLES Filed April 13, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. Jams/aw D. Sfach/w Pin/lip A. l onada MM D. M

AGE/V7 United States Patent MECHANICAL COUPLING FOR GLASS AND CERAMIC ARTICLES Jaroslaw D. Stachiw, Oxnard, Calif., and Phillip A. Vonada, State College, Pa., assignors to Corning Glass Works, Corning, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 447,614 Claims. (Cl. 285-853) ABSTRACT OF TI-HZ DISCLOSURE A ceramic enclosure formed of two cup-shaped parts joined by a metal coupling assembly made up of ring members in threaded relationship with one another and holding the ceramic parts together by means of flanges on the parts.

This invention relates to a mechanical coupling particularly suitable for internally joining two ceramic articles.

It is an object of the invention to provide coupling means which may be applied internally to join two ceramic members in a manner which minimizes tensile stresses on the ceramic materials and which permits the composite article to exhibit a smooth and continuous outer surface.

Summary of the invention The objects of the invention are accomplished by the provision of a coupling which comprises joined annular male and female coupling rings, each ring having threaded thereover a radially contractible ring which maintains an inwardly projecting flange on the ceramic member fixed between it and an outwardly extending flange on the respective male or female coupling ring. The male and female coupling rings are in threaded engagement. Where unusually high degrees of strength are necessary, inwardly and outwardly extneding flange portions are provided on the ceramic parts, and each flange is clamped between the rings.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an axial sectional view of a ceramic diving instrumentation capsule joined by a coupling according to the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the female coupling ring employed in the invention,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the male coupling ring,

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a radially shrinkable locking ring employed in the coupling, and

FIGURES 57 are fragmentary views of alternative forms of couplings according to the invention.

Referring to FIGURES l4, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, cup-shaped ceramic shell members and 12 are provided with inwardly projecting flanges 14 and '16, in the vicinity of their annular edges 18 and 20, respectively. Annular male coupling ring 22 has an outwardly extending flange portion 24. Flange 14 is clamped between flange 24 and locking ring 26. Locking ring 26 is provided with internal threads, while the exterior surface of male ring 22 is provided with threads to permit the locking ring to be drawn thereover, thereby causing flange portion 24 and locking ring 26 to be drawn together about flange 14 as the locking ring is tightened. Female coupling ring 28 is provided with external flange portion 30. Flange 16 is similarly retained between flange 30 and locking ring 32, which is identical with locking ring 26. Female and male coupling rings 28 and 22 are joined by means of breach lock threads 34 and 36, illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3. In order to provide resilient Patented Oct. 10, 1967 fluid-tight seals between the respective components, rubber O-ring gaskets 38, 40 and 42 are provided respectively between sealing edge 18 and flange 24, between flange 24 and flange 30, and between flange 30 and sealing edge 20.

As illustrated in FIGURE 4, each locking ring, such as ring 26, comprises three segments 44, 46 and 48 connected at their ends by bolts 50, 52 and 54 to form a continous ring. During assembly of the coupling, one of the bolts is removed, and the ring is collapsed by an amount suflicient to permit the ring to be inserted past the inwardly extending ceramic flange into the interior of the ceramic member. The ring is then expanded and rebolted together in the rigid form illustrated in FIGURE 4. After each locking ring has been inserted behind its respective ceramic flange in this manner, coupling rings 22 and 28 are threaded into the locking rings and the rings are ro-' tated to draw them tightly against the ceramic flanges and to draw flanges 24 and 30 of the male and female coupling rings against edges 18 and 20, respectively. Subsequently, female coupling ring 28 is threaded over male coupling ring 22 to complete the enclosure.

As is well known, glasses and ceramics tend to fail in tension, while compressive stresses have substantially no destructive effects on them. An advantage of the present coupling is the fact that no part of the ceramic material is placed in tension, and the only forces exerted thereon are the compressive stresses on ceramic flanges 14 and '16. A further advantage of the coupling is the fact that,

although all of the coupling components are contained substantially within the enclosure formed by the ceramic members, the only access to the interior of the shell which is required for the assembly of the coupling is through the openings defined by the sealing edges.

In alternative forms of the invention, locking rings 26 and 32, rather than being in segments, may be in the form of internally threaded flexible split rings. Such split rings are preferably employed only when a high degree of strength is not required in the coupling.

Although the male and female coupling rings are illustrated as joined by a breach-lock thread, such means may be replaced by continuous threads on the surfaces of the rings. In the appended claims the term thread and variations thereof are intended to include both such means.

Although ceramic flanges 14 and 16 have been illustrated as continuous rings, such form is not essential, and other flange forms may be utilized to retain the respective locking rings.

For uses where it is not necessary for the completed coupling to present a smooth external surface, the alternative embodiments of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 5-7 may be employed.

In FIGURE 5 there is illustrated a coupling similar to that of FIGURES 14, except that ceramic members 91 and 92 are provided with outwardly extending flanges 93 and 94, respectively. Flange 93 is maintained between locking ring and an inwardly projecting flange on male coupling ring 96, while flange 94 is maintained between locking ring 97 and an inwardly extending flange on female coupling ring 98. In this embodiment, if the shapes of the ceramic members permit, locking rings 95 and 97 may be either radially shrinkable or rigid integral rings.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 6 is similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 5, except that the male and female coupling rings are formed as an integral internally threaded ring 62 having a single inwardly projecting flange 63.

In FIGURE 7 there is illustrated a coupling having particular utility for applications where unusually high degrees of strength are necessary. Ceramic members 71 and 72 are provided with end flange portions 73 and 74, respectively, which project both outwardly and inwardly 3 with respect to the ceramic body. Female coupling ring 75 is provided with an annular groove 76 having opposed threaded surface portions permitting locking rings 77 and 78 to maintain flange 74 within the annular groove. Male 7 radially contractible locking ring threaded over said second external threaded surface portion of said male coupling ring, and

the other said inwardly projecting flange portion being restrained from movement in a direction away from said flange portion of said female coupling ring by radially contractible locking ring threaded over said coupling ring 79 and locking rings 80 and 81 similarly external threaded surface portion of said female cougrip flange 73. The coupling rings are connected bymeans pling ring. of opposed threaded surfaces 82 and 83 of female coupling 4. A coupling joining two ceramic members by means ring 75 in engagement with corresponding threaded surof a threaded male coupling ring attached to one said faces of male coupling ring 79. member and a female coupling ring threaded over said The term ceramic is used herein in its broad sense 10 male coupling ring and attached to the other said memto include both crystalline materials and amorphous maher, and improved means for attaching said coupling rings terials, such as glass. to the respective said ceramic members, said means com- Inasmuch as the foregoing description has been proprising vided solely as that of a preferred embodiment of the an inwardly extending flange on each said ceramic invention, it is intended that the scope of the invention member in the vicinity of the end thereof, be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. external fl g means on h said coupling g We claim: operating with the outer edges of the respective said 1. A coupling joining two members along annular edges ceramic members to limit the depth to which said thereof, said coupling comprising coupling rings may be inserted into said ceramic a male coupling ring having a first external threaded surmembers,

face portion, each said coupling ring having at its end located Within a female coupling ring having an internal threaded surits respective ceramic member a threaded external face portion in engagement with said first external Surface portion, threaded surface portion of said male coupling ring, each said coupling ring being retained within its resaid male coupling ring having a second threaded exterspective member by an internally threaded radially nal surface portion, contractible locking ring threaded over said threaded said female coupling ring having a threaded external external surfaee Portion of the IeSPee'EiVe coupling surface portion, ring permitting said coupling ring to be drawn into each said coupling ring having an outwardly extending Ceramic member until the Said eXteTHal flange flange portion, means thereon contacts the end of said ceramic memeach said member having an inwardly extending flange her a d inwardly eXt nding flange of ach said portion in the vicinity of it aid edge ceramic member is retained between said external one said inwardly extending flange portion being reflan means of its p ing r g and a l ing ri g. tained between said outwardly extending flange por- A Coupling joining tWO ceramic members a110118 tion of said male coupling ring and a radially con- Hula! edges thereof, said Coupling Comprising tractible locking ring threaded over said second a female coupling ring having a first annular groove threaded external surface portion of said male couhaving pp t threaded surface p s, ling i a d a male coupling ring having first threaded surface porthe other said inwardly projecting flange portion being liens in engagement With Said first threaded fa retained between said outwardly extending flange por- 40 Portions of Said female upli g ring, tion of said female coupling ring and a radially coneach Said Ceramic member having an enlarged g tractible locking ring threaded over said external POItiOI1 in the vicinity of said annular edges thereof, threaded ortion of id f m l li i each said male and female coupling ring having a sec- 2. A coupling according to claim 1 in which each said end annular groove formed therein having pp radially contractible ring comprises a plurality of rigid Second threaded Suffaee Portions, segments connected at their extremities. one Said enlarged edge Portion of Said members being 3. A coupling joi in t cuphaped ceramic members retained within said second annular groove in said along annular edges thereof, said coupling comprising male Coupling ring y means of threaded locking a male coupling ring having a first external threaded rings in engagement With Said Second threaded surface ortion, face portions of said male coupling ring, and a female coupling ring having an internal threaded surthe other Said enlarged edge Portion of Said members face portion in engagement with said first external being retained Within Said Second annular groove i threaded surface portion of said male coupling ring, Said female Coupling Ting y means of tbreaded leeksaid male coupling ring having a second threaded exing rings in engagement With Said nd th ded ternal surface portion, surface portions of said female coupling ring. said female coupling ring having a threaded external Surface portion, References Cited 7 each said coupling ring having an outwardly extending UNITED TA ES PATENTS flange D 431,816 7/1890 Lomasney 285 35 each said ceramic member having an inwardly extend- 2,294,160 8/1942 Crane et al.

ing flange portion in the vicinity of its said edge, 2,952,378 9/1960 Renslow 220-5 one said inwardly extending flange portion being re- 9 7 7/ 9 'Devine et al 8533X strained from movement in a direction away from 3,101,743 8/ 1963 Hoke 285-370 X said flange portion of said male cou ling ring by a 65 3,122,962 3/1964 DeAngelis 1 CARL W. TOMLIN, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS F. CALLAGHAN, Examiner. 

1. A COUPLING JOINING TWO MEMBERS ALONG ANNULAR EDGES THEREOF, SAID COUPLING COMPRISING A MALE COUPLING RING HAVING A FIRST EXTERNAL THREADED SURFACE PORTION, A FEMAL COUPLING RING HAVING AN INTERNAL THREADED SURFACE PORTION IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST EXTERNAL THREADED SURFACE PORTION OF SAID MALE COUPLING RING SAID MALE COUPLING RING HAVING A SECOND THREADED EXTERNAL SURFACE PORTION, SAID FEMALE COUPLING RING HAVING A THREADED EXTERNAL SURFACE PORTION, EACH SAID COUPLING RING HAVING AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE PORTION, EACH SAID MEMBER HAVING AN INWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE PORTION IN THE VICINITY OF ITS SAID EDGE, 